


Lucky

by Jackolidus



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alcohol, Sci-Fi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 16:48:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29156865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jackolidus/pseuds/Jackolidus
Summary: this was a part of justin and justin but i have abandoned it
Kudos: 1





	Lucky

The cell phone had been a wealth of information. Apparently humans needed to eat a lot more often than Justin was used to. The rest of the information had been unnecessary, in Justin’s opinion. He already knew that he’d need a job and he’d need to get the heat turned back on and that he needed money to do anything. He decided to leave the phone on the charger, plugged into the wall, and didn't even bother finishing the manual for what he was supposed to be doing. 

It was six hours and two failed attempts at getting a job that Justin realized that he needed the phone to make it at all. He had to know his phone number to do anything. It was a little oversight that he hadn’t made room for. 

He went back to the apartment and finished reading the instructions. Then, he got distracted by the little puzzle games downloaded on the device. It was extremely primitive technology, he wasn’t used to it, and he missed his Holumber, how easy it was to use, but he figured he could make it work.

After gradually getting more and more bored with the phone, he gave up and realized that he was hungry again. With another pang of loss, he missed his body. His research from earlier had led him to the banking app on his phone, where he realized that he had just enough money to pay the rent bill at the end of the month, which was fast approaching. Not enough money for food. 

But the phone had also taught him how to use the stove, so he made himself the last remaining box of macaroni and cheese.

It was very interesting to have a hot bowl of sludge after months of lukewarm meal supplement cubes. Justin couldn’t decide if it was good or just hot. The flavor was okay, reminded him a little bit of dinner at Papa’s if Papa wasn’t there and the chef was doling out his own little secret recipe thing. He wasn’t obsessed with it. 

He hadn’t really anticipated that he wouldn’t be able to use his chip for anything. He had a card, now, and a cell phone, and cash if he needed it. And he was just supposed to use those at the correct times, and not interchangeably. The chip, at least, had been one unit. This, the five different things he had to use for different things, was a little complicated. He could figure it out, he decided. He was an adult. 

The phone had a map, and a button that said “nightlife” and Justin knew what nightlife was. He followed the map with his wallet and his coat and his phone until he was standing in front of a sad, short brick building with no windows and a door that said “pull to open”. So Justin pulled. The door opened, and Justin entered the warm, dark room. It was early afternoon, and the bar was empty. 

He headed straight for the bar, got the attention of the bored bartender, who was on his phone, not paying attention, and put both hands on the bar. “I’m here for the job,” he said. His confidence has gotten him out of many a tight spot. 

The bartender, who had dark hair and dark eyes and a smiley, round face, flashed his teeth in what struck Justin immediately as a show of dominance, but quickly became a smile. “Dude, you’re an hour late,” he scolded, still smiling. He came out from behind the bar and stuck his hand out for Justin to shake. “I was starting to think you were going to bail on 80s Night.”

Justin smiled right back, playing it cool, shaking the hand. “Sorry, I had to walk, didn’t realize it would take me this long.”

“It’s all good, I’m paying you by the hour,” the guy joked. “What did you say your name was again?”

Justin thanked his lucky stars. This was perfect. “The name’s Ripper.” 

“Nice to meet you Ripper, I’m Chad, we spoke on the phone.”

Justin nodded. “I know we discussed a few things the other day,” he said, edging his way in, “I have to be honest, here, I don’t exactly know what I’m being paid to do.”

Chad laughed at him and gestured for him to follow. “You’re just helping set up for tonight, and then you’re gonna bartend until close.” They went through the kitchen door and past a cook who was making a lot of noise with a knife. “This is Ray, you need anything animal or vegetable, you come to him.”

Ray nodded at Justin. 

“I’m gonna take you to the office and show you the decorations. And then you can go buck wild.” Chad turned to him, while he unlocked the office. “You mentioned over the phone that you’re not very comfortable with mixing the typical drinks, but we’ve changed the menu for tonight and it’s just gonna be the stuff that’s on tap and the special cocktails we made up for tonight. Which I’m gonna have Hannah teach you how to make.”

The decorations were just several boxes of colorful stuff, streamers, balloons, tablecloths, and they were put in Justin’s hands. 

Chad gave him a confident smile. “You can do whatever you want with this, just make it eighties out there, really pack it on.”

Justin felt like a kid again, decorating for an event. It was fun. It got him out of his head.

Plus, the bar was warm and the apartment definitely was not warm. So that was a huge perk. 

He knew what to do with tablecloths and the little crinkly paper balls that hung from the ceiling. He knew how to blow up balloons and tie them to chairs. It felt good to be doing work that wouldn’t result in hurting someone else. He was just making things beautiful. 

Chad poked his head into the room and grinned. “Hey, dude, it looks amazing in here!”

Justin continued making curls out of ribbon to attach to the front of the bar. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, man, this is sick. Anyway, Hannah is running a little late, so I’m gonna go ahead and get you started on these cocktails. Just finish up whatever you’re doing and meet me behind the bar.”

“No problem,” Justin said, putting his scissors back in the box with the tape. He just had to gather the rest of the empty plastic bins and put them back in the office. 

Chad was waiting for him at the bar, looking smiley and excited. Justin felt ready to learn. 

“I’m going to leave this sheet behind the counter here so you can look back at it, but basically it’s the three signature cocktails for tonight and then the beers on tap and anything from a bottle.”

Justin nodded. “‘Rocks’ is ice, right?” he asked, just to confirm. He’d seen some Earth movies, but he wasn’t sure. 

Chad nodded. “Right. So if someone asks for ‘on the rocks’, that’s just with ice. But you put the ice in first. Hannah will teach you all the basics when she gets here, so don’t worry too much about that.”

Justin tried his very best to absorb the information that was thrown at him, from how to make the cocktails to how to pour a pint, which Hannah taught him when she arrived. She had very cool blue hair and eyebrows and Justin thought for a moment that she was a Peacemaker, too, but he knew that it was impossible. 

The rest of the kitchen staff as well as the waiters arrived an hour before the bar would open. Most of them seemed like they’d been plucked off the street, the same as Justin, and he shook hands with them all while Chad greeted and trained them. 

When the clock struck seven, the doors opened, and the night began. 

It passed in a blur, the loud music made it hard to hear the customers who wanted their drinks, but he was pleasantly surprised that no one was rude to him. He did his best to make the drinks correctly and do everything right, remember to swipe cards and count cash, and Hannah was especially kind to him. 

He counted himself lucky that he’d walked into just the right building. He made a mental note to thank his cell phone for taking him there.


End file.
